I think this is a great recipe - my family loves these bars, too. I would give it 5 stars, except I did make a couple changes. Instead of shortening, I always use real butter in this recipe. Also, I put in 3/4 cup white sugar and 3/4 cup packed brown sugar (recipe calls for 1 1/2 cup brown sugar only). My family prefers milk chocolate chips rather than semi-sweet. Give it try!
Jan.'07: Just tried this recipe because of seeing 46 mostly-good reviews. They taste really good - and, yes, more cake-like but still delicious. Because of the wonderful comments from so many, I did change the recipe slightly. I reduced the baking powder and soda to 3/4 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp baking soda. I used all butter (2 sticks) and used half white/half brown sugar. I reduced the milk to 1 Tbsp. Also, I baked these 35 minutes because of suggestions from other reviewers. THANKS reviewers!
I thought I did something wrong when I first tasted this recipe but upon double checking I realized this recipe is just not good. The shortening causes the bars to be greasy and there's way too much flour and not enough choco chips. I had to trash this dish and start over with a new recipe. From now on only real butter for me. Shortening just isn't right for this dish!
I've got it. The reason it is cake like (noted in other reviews) is because the size of the pan should be 15 x 10. You can't get 36 serving out of a 9 x 13 pan. I took the advise from the reviews and changed the shortening to butter. I used 3/4 cup white sugar and 3/4 cup brown sugar and added a cup more of chocolate chips which I changed to milk chocolate chips instead of semisweet. I made them for my daughters b-day. We decorated the pan for b-day and she shared them with her class.
I thought I made these wrong. But I double checked the recipe and I had followed it to a tee. They were very bland in taste and were as hard as a rock. Sure glad the function I was to take them to was cancelled.
Was very disappointed with this recipe. Needed a quick dessert for a meal we were putting together for a co-worker recuperating from surgery. Needed something easy which these were. But the grease! These are the greasiest bars I've ever made! I followed the recipe exactly using butter flavored Crisco. I sampled one of the bars to see what it tasted like and you guessed it - grease. I'd make something else but it's 10:35 p.m. and the Scots in me won't allow me to throw them out. (Too cheap!) All I can say is I hope they don't make her feel even worse than she does. Thumbs down.
After swapping the shortening for butter and regular milk for soymilk I was pleased with my results. The bars' consistency landed somewhere between cake and bar which was fine with me.
This isn't a cookie at all! It's much more like a chocolate chip cake. Tastes nice but it's cake...not cookie. We're very disappointed.
